A Reuters poll had expected a rate of 1.80% in December. The previous month's inflation rate was 1.75%.

Bank Indonesia is targetting inflation to be within a range of 2% to 4% for 2021 and 2022.

The December core inflation rate, excluding government-controlled and volatile prices, rose to 1.56%, from 1.44% in November. The poll had expected 1.52%.

(Reporting by Gayatri Suroyo and Fransiska Nangoy; Editing by Ed Davies)